by Ray GlierFiled under: Buccaneers, NFC South, NFL Injuries
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-6) will go into a must-win game against New Orleans on Sunday without rookie wide receiver Arrelious Benn, who was placed on injured reserve with a torn ligament in his left knee.Benn is the seventh starter to be lost to IR in the last five weeks. A second-round pick out of Illinois, he started the season slow, but had been making progress week to week. He was hurt in the 38-15 rout of Seattle last Sunday.
Benn has 25 catches for 395 yards, but 16 have come in the last seven games. He was averaging 15.8 yards per catch.
Tampa Bay has to win against the Saints and hope the Giants and Packers lose in order to claim the wild card spot. New Orleans (11-4) already has a wild card, but the Saints can get the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs -- and a bye and home field advantage -- if they beat Tampa Bay and Atlanta loses to Carolina.
"I'm more sour for the fact that I knew what Rejus (Arrelious Benn) was going to be able to do this offseason because of how he works," coach Raheem Morris said. "Now he's going to spend some time rehabbing and doing some things for his knee in order to come back to where he was. I'm more discouraged about the fact that I know he was going to be able to grow in the offseason in the offense and working with guys.
"There's just something about throwing with Josh Freeman and throwing with these guys every day. They got a unique chemistry from that forum starting last year, and there was going to be a new wave of guys that came in and would be able to join that with Mike Williams and Rejus and (Dezmon) Briscoe. I'm just more sad for him because I know how he likes to work."
The Bucs could also be without veteran fullback Earnest Graham, who suffered a neck injury against Seattle.
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Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/12/29/arrelious-benn-placed-on-injured-reserve-by-bucs-after-torn-left/
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